


Unconditionally

by sicparvismagna



Category: Grand Theft Auto V
Genre: Angst, Aunt-Niece/Nephew Relationship, Bickering, Blackmail, Conflict, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, May/December Relationship, Multiple Relationships, Relationship(s), Romance, Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:08:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7281067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sicparvismagna/pseuds/sicparvismagna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She used to con people to make a living after escaping a painful past. Now she runs and guns to make her money, but after a job goes wrong, she's in some deep shit. She crosses paths with Michael De Santa, which leads to her getting involved with his crew, and more than involved with Trevor Philips. Soon they get caught up with all types of the criminal underworld of Los Santos, whether they want to or not.</p><p>*Loosely based on the main story, but I try to shake it up enough to where it feels like a different one, and where there are still enough surprises and new material.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catch Me If You Can

**Author's Note:**

> I've been collecting ideas for this work for a while now, and I'm finally getting around to writing it out the way I like. Throughout the many times I have played though the campaign of GTA V, I always wanted to write my own take on what it would be like if a female character was apart of it alongside Trevor, Michael, and Franklin...but I also wanted to add new and original ideas and other concepts so that it wasn't just a copy that people wouldn't want to read because they would more or less already know what was going to happen. Anyway, this is what I have come up with. It's a work in progress, so bear with me! Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> PS: Feedback and comments are appreciated :) thanks!

One bullet, two bullets, three bullets, four.

She had become comfortable with that sound over the years. The discharge of a gun. It was the only thing she knew; the only thing she was good at. Well, not the only thing, but it was the outshining quality of hers. That and the "art" of conning.

More often than not, the mark was an easy target, and it had turned into a short, petty scam, such as the typical street cons like distract and grab. That one was probably the quickest ways to make a lift. And while that brought in the money, she found that her skills with a gun kept her afloat quite comfortably, and paid more handsomely--with the catch that it was far more dangerous. Yet, it was the one she ultimately decided to stick with.

Maybe the adrenaline was a part of it.

She'd go to the shooting range often. It wasn't because she needed the practice, but because it strangely soothed her, and it gave her time to think if she needed it. And every once in a while, she did need it. She had finally gotten herself to concentrate on one tiny black dot in the center of the target she was using, and if only she could just hone in on the curvature and...

Bzzz, bzzzz

She felt the vibration of her phone in her back pocket, sighing heavily and rolling her eyes as she put her arms down and set the safety on the AP pistol, placing it on the small counter in front of her.

The concentration she had been building up for the past half hour snuffed out in the blink of an eye. She took off her protective glasses and held them in one hand as she used the other to pull out her distraction and shook her head as she read the caller ID. After a few seconds, she answered it.

"Yeah, what's up?" She knew that question was meaningless to ask because he never called her for anything else, aside from maybe a random drunk dial.

"Leann! I've got a job for you, darlin'."  
Vince was a local arms dealer and trader. He operated on the west side of Los Santos, 'serving' the likes of Vespucci, Del Perro, and parts of Morningwood and Little Seoul. She had come across him years ago when she was interested in getting a gun that couldn't be traced. When she proved she could handle a firearm, he began calling and offering her various dealings to help him out with his business. Putting aside the heat and injuries she received from rivals and other enemies, it was enough. She liked it. But lately, her boss, and the people he was associated with, had become some of the biggest tools. Of course Leann knew that everyone was a dishonest crook in the circle of crime, and she wasn't really any better, but they were completely consumed. 

"Can it wait?" Leann groaned. She tossed the clear plastic glasses on a nearby table behind her and rubbed her hand across her forehead. "I'm busy."

"These guns have to go out to my buyers no later than tomorrow," Vince explained, his voice sounding more stern than usual. "So no, it can't wait."

She paused, knowing she couldn't turn down the payment. She wasn't broke by a long stretch, but this was her only means of income at the moment. It wasn't the typical 'honest job,' but she'd never had an honest job in her life. Well, scratch that. Back when she was in high school, she worked as a waitress at an old diner that had seen better days, and far more decent people. All of her other means of making money weren't exactly legal, and she wasn't going to start now.

Leann hit a nearby wall repeatedly with her hand out of frustration, giving in. She wasn't really in a position to say no and tell him to fuck off, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Fine, I'm leaving now. Where's the place?"

"Del Perro Beach, near the pier," Vince tried to pass off the next part as casually as he could. "It's uh, it's a boat, actually."

Leann's eyes widened as she tightened her grip on her phone, jerking her head to the right. "What? No fucking way!"

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me you're afraid of a little challenge? Look, it's a stationary yacht with the name 'Dignity' in big letters on the back. You can't miss it." He would always hold back details until after she had already said yes, so why would this time be any different?

She shook her head and shoved the mobile device between her ear and shoulder before picking up her gun and unloading it. "You've gotta be kidding me! Goddammit, Vince. You always pull this shit." She reached her arms around to her back and carefully tucked the pistol between her shorts and skin, then pulling her shirt down over it.

Vince could only produce a forced chuckle. God, he was cocky as hell. He had become far too big for his britches. Definitely changed since they first met.  
"The guns are located on the main deck, but they're inside an enclosure. Tread lightly."

"Bite me." Leann gave the store's owner a quick wave before pushing through the doors of the local Ammu-Nation and walking to her car. It's not that she was intimidated of extracting guns from a watercraft, but it did bring more to the table. It was a bigger liability. And you were surrounded by water, so there wasn't much place to go.

"Uh-huh. As long as you're quick you'll be fine." Vince reassured her, a rambling of voices starting to drown out his own in the background. "And these guns are rare and expensive, so be very careful. Call me when you've retrieved them." He was quick to hang up, and she began cursing his name as she threw her phone on the passenger seat and slid into the blue Sentinel.

Leann put her arms over the steering wheel and rested her forehead against her hands. She sighed, mentally preparing herself for the mission before starting up the engine and pulling onto the bustling streets of Los Santos.

*

The ocean breeze felt nice as it brushed across Leann's hot skin. The beach wasn't too crowded today, even though it normally would have been considering the nice weather. It was actually quieter than usual. Locals and tourists could be heard from the Del Perro Pier, but it was faint and nothing close to a distraction--though she wanted one. The silence was overwhelming.

Just as if the universe was reading her mind, her phone began to vibrate again. She kept hoping it wasn't Vince while pulling her phone out, and smiled when she saw who it was.

Courtney was her best friend. She had known the girl for years now, and they had become close. They both came to San Andreas from a different state, and along the way of navigating the city, they struck up a friendship.

"You have amazing timing," Leann smiled, shuffling her flip-flopped feet through the soft sand.

"Why, did I save you from another fight or shoot out?" Courtney giggled through the phone speaker. It sounded like she was joking, but she had told Leann time and time again that she was afraid for her safety because of the type of work she took up.

Leann stared at the ground and rubbed her t-shirt's hem between her finger and thumb. "Not yet."

There was a pause before Courtney continued. "What is it this time?"

"Oh you know, run here, steal this, shoot that...a little catch me if you can." She could hear a mixture of loud voices and thudding music on the other end. It nauseated her. "How's work?"

'Work' was bar tending at the Vanilla Unicorn strip club in south LS. Courtney had only ever served drinks and nothing else, but it had crossed her mind a few times to take it a step further to earn more. It was still a demeaning job however, and just like Courtney wasn't a fan of Leann's employment, Leann wasn't ecstatic about hers, either. So, she had managed to talk Courtney out of it most of the time, and so far her influence stuck.

"Surprisingly slow today, thank god," she answered as some glasses clinked along with her voice. "But you--I can't believe you're still doing that shit, Leann."

Leann smirked as she reached the shoreline, setting her line of sight up with her target...the big blue and white boat. It was the type that a bunch of spoiled, rich, and shallowly attractive people drank, partied, and snorted on. It was ironic that the thing was named 'Dignity.' No doubt they were all handed that money, because the people who actually earned it always seemed too humble for that shit. Or, they were just better at hiding it.

She shook her head and sighed under her breath so Courtney wouldn't hear. "What? You know me." She turned her head from side to side and looked around the area, planning on how to get to the vessel. Spotting a small docking area a few feet away from her, her eyes fell on a light blue Seashark as it rocked calmly under the shallow waves.

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Leann ended the call before anything else could be said and put her phone in the back pocket of her denim shorts before heading for the dock. She stepped up onto the old, wooden boards and climbed onto the jet ski. She was technically stealing it, but she was only intending to borrow it. She told herself she would bring it back when she was done. And if everything went as planned, it wouldn't be gone for long.

She slowly made her way to the yacht, so as to not alert anyone of her presence before she was even on board. The engine was low when it wasn't fully accelerating, and the guttural sounds of water and air coming from the back gently purred against the water. If she wasn't there on business, she would have actually enjoyed taking it out for a spin.

After scanning the front of the boat, Leann stood up and balanced herself on the Seashark's cushioned seat before scaling the side of the watercraft. The front and the back would surely be populated, so this was the best way to enter without being seen. Alright. Just get in, grab it, and get the hell out.

The atmosphere was just as Leann expected. Thick with arrogance and haughtiness, which was never a good combination. She pulled out her pistol and held it in both hands, facing down in front of her, and slowly walked towards the back end of the ship. As she neared a thick sliding door that was closed, she heard muffled voices yelling, laughing, and just all around being obnoxious. Some shitty pop music was playing, but it was loud enough that her footsteps walking across the wooden floorboards wouldn't be heard. Although, these kids seemed to live in their own little world, so they probably wouldn't notice anyway. Ignoring the skimpy bikinis, and one guy's speedo (she still couldn't stop herself from laughing at it), she saw a young woman in a pink and purple one piece and shorts dancing suggestively on a table. She had a beer bottle in her hand, probably still half full, and her blonde hair was in braids. All Leann could do was roll her eyes. She carefully slipped past them, only glad that they all had their backs turned.

She gripped the small, white handle to the door and carefully pulled it towards her. She didn't need to open it much, just enough to shimmy through and find the damn guns. Once she was inside the enclosure, which housed a bar and lounge area, she checked the doorways on each side of the room to make sure nobody else was around, or coming, before searching the area.

"Now, if I were highly desired and powerful weapons, where would I be hiding?" She asked herself as she looked behind the bar and felt between the huge couch cushions. Nothing. She figured they were obvious places, but these people didn't seem all too bright, so she entertained the idea before moving on. She rummaged through the built in cabinets lining one side of the room, but they were filled with nothing but replacement shot glasses, boat manuals, and random amenities that you'd find in a hotel room.

Leann let out a heavy sigh and closed the last cabinet she had opened before getting up and scanning the entire room again. Of all the times she had done this, this gave her trouble? She had extracted arms and other merchandise from high security buildings before, while this place wasn't even standing around where their stash was apparently located.

She knew it wouldn't be long before some employee, or worse, the owner of the yacht, came walking in and caught her red-handed. Thinking that Vince was wrong regarding the whereabouts of the firearms, she pulled out her phone and began to scroll to his contact when she stepped on a big, oriental rug near the corner of the room where she had come in.

There were about four others spread throughout the space, all with coffee tables on them and sofas and lounge chairs around them--but this one was different. One of the boards under it shifted beneath her weight. She lifted her foot and pushed down on the spot again, this time hearing the board collide with another one, which wasn't supposed to happen if the floor was properly laid. It felt loose and out of place, and this prompted her to quickly move off of the rug to bend down and flip up one of the ends. What it revealed was exactly what she was looking for: a type of false bottom under the floorboards. A secret compartment.

"Huh," her mouth hung open a little as the corner of her lip pulled into a half smile. She had to admit that she underestimated these guys a little. It was a clever way to hide things you didn't want found. And since it was located under a thick rug, it could easily be missed if you didn't step on the exact spot. She got down on her knees and examined the top board that acted as the covering, or the 'lid.' There was no locking mechanism of any sort, which surprised Leann. She was expecting to have to pick a lock, but since that was out of the question, she just kept her eyes out for an alarm trigger.

She slid her index finger in the small, half circle opening and lifted it up, using her other hand to pick the other side out of place. She set the top board aside and leaned closer to the inside of the compartment.

There they were. She smiled, reaching for the silver zipper. The merchandise was in a small, black duffel bag. "Bingo." She moved the contents around haphazardly before closing it back up and pulling it out of the floor. Then, she heard a commotion from outside on the deck she had snuck past.

"Shit," she mumbled, and in a frantic state put the board back in place and pushed the rug down over in it's original position. She slung the duffel bag over her shoulder, kept her gun out and loaded, and slid back out through the opening of the sliding door she had made when coming in.

From what Leann could see, an argument or fight of some sorts was breaking out among the group of people, and she took that as a definite cue to leave--as if she didn't have any other reason to get the hell out of there.

Leann walked briskly back down the side of the boat and looked over the railing to make sure the Seashark was still there. The ocean's current was fairly calm that day, and she let out a sigh of relief when her eyes met the jet ski's body. She could hear the multiple voices getting louder and angrier, so she carefully dropped the bag down on and followed suit, climbing over the white ledge and slowly lowering herself to sit on the jet ski behind the stash of guns. Once she had secured the duffel in front of her, nestled between her thighs, she started the engine and steered it in the opposite direction. She was about to take off before a certain someone realized their weapons were missing, but something stopped her.

The girl that had been dancing on the table earlier was now sitting on a black Seashark near the back end of the boat, and there was an older man in front of her. They both looked extremely agitated. The man appeared to be trying to start the engine, but Leann could hear it continue to stall after each attempt.

"Fuck! It won't start!" She heard him yell in frustration and panic.

"Oh my god, oh my god, we're so f-ing dead!" The girl was flipping out, which wasn't helping the situation. She understood it, though.

Leann was frozen in place. Normally, she really wouldn't care enough to stop and help some random strangers, within reason. Though, given the fact that it looked like they were trying to escape, it was safe for her to assume that there was an altercation between them and the party on the boat. And the owner's possession of weapons implied that the ones she had just stolen weren't the only ones on deck. Against her better judgment, she quickly accelerated over to them before she could change her mind.

"Get on!" Leann shouted at them, gesturing her head and neck towards the seats behind her. She glanced up the stairs of the ship and noticed two men attempting to catch the two approaching fast. They surely didn't look like the type to just let it go, whatever 'it' was.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, the panic on her face spilling out into her speech. She shielded her eyes from the blazing sun when she looked over at Leann.

"The only friend you've got right now," Leann replied, her voice firm and her eyes wide open. She gripped her hands tightly on the bars of the steering mechanism, her fingers waiting impatiently to trigger the throttle when appropriate.

They both seemed too stunned to react, judging by the fact that they didn't immediately move. Leann revved the engine to regain their attention. "Do I need to repeat myself?! Hurry up! Let's go!" They didn't have time to sit around. If anyone had intentions of staying alive, now was the time to move.

"Ah shit!" The man cursed to himself, pulling the green coil from the key off of his wrist. He seemed hesitant, but obliged. He turned around to face the girl. "Alright, you heard her! Go!" He looked over at Leann and gave her a small nod, his face glazed with a serious look that was trying to express gratitude. His brown hair with gray flecks was a little ruffled, and the dull blue of his eyes suggested that there was something deep and dark behind them.

"But Dad-"

"Go!" He nudged her to stand up. The girl finally did, and she quickly hopped from from their dead jet ski to Leann's.

In her rush, she had almost slipped and plummeted into the water, but Leann grabbed her arm just in time and managed to stabilize her. She let out a slight yelp as she landed on the seat splashed with water.

Leann looked behind her at the girl, then to the father, which she had figured by him being addressed as 'dad.'

"You're next, old man," she called to him. He smirked a little at the nickname and eyed the remainder of the cushioned seat. Usually, a standard jet ski only fit two people, but this one happened to be longer than usual.

Holding out his arms for balance, the man made a small jump to the Seashark, gripping his daughter's shoulders and planting himself down on the end of the soft cushion. Her shrieks from him using her to gain some friction while jumping ringed in Leann's ears, and she flinched away.

"Hang on!" Leann yelled to them as she squeezed the lever to accelerate and sped away, leaving the people they'd both pissed off behind.

She became giddy at the thought of getting away quickly and without huge incident, but that faded fast when she glanced over her shoulder and saw two men on Seasharks in hot pursuit of the three of them. Of course it wasn't going to be that simple.

"OMG, I can't hold on!" The girl yelled behind Leann, the water splashing up on them making it slippery.

Leann looked back at her briefly before making for a big, concrete storm drain. That looked like enough of a maze she could lose their pursuers in. "Here, grab my shoulders!"

The blonde raised her hands and did as she said, curling her fingers into Leann's collarbone for a better grip.

Not long after, bullets began to graze by. Leann wasted no time in pulling out her pistol and returning the shots to their jet ski's, hoping that would slow them down.

The girl leaned away, absolutely terrified. "Shit, you have a gun?!"

"They're shooting!" Leann called back to her, a little annoyed. "Do you wanna be the next target they hit?"

There was no response. She held her right arm out again and pointed the AP pistol behind her. They reached the end of the tunnel and shot back out into the sunlight.

"We'll lose 'em if we keep goin' this way!" The man yelled to Leann now, trying to put his two cents in. He had been surprisingly silent until now.

Leann only nodded, not really needing his directions because she knew Vespucci like the back of her hand. This hadn't been her first time being chased though this area. She was stunned, though, when out of the corner of her eye she saw him pull out a handgun. Most likely a 9mm. It wasn't strange for people to own guns; lots of them did. But still, for some reason, she wasn't expecting it. And he was way too familiar with the whole thing, which suggested he was no stranger to using it, or being in situations where you had to use it.

"Who the fuck are these people?" He asked, taking a shot at one of their heads, but it missed.

"Oh, you know, TV people, celebs, serious drug dealers..." His daughter responded frantically as she shoved a piece of hair out of her face.

Leann couldn't believe how this young woman was so naive. "My guess is they work for the big mobs in the area, running their businesses and handing over profits!" She found it irritating that she had to yell over all of the ruckus. The man didn't respond, but she saw him shake his head. She knew finding out that your daughter was hanging out with some 'less than reputable people' wasn't sitting well with him.

After weaving through the Vespucci Canals with as much fluidity as she could manage, Leann gritted her teeth in frustration. Her plan to lose these clowns wasn't panning out the way she liked. She was never really hesitant to use her gun on someone (hell, she welcomed the idea many times to show she wasn't one to be fucked with), but she was also hoping that blasting bullet holes in their expensive water toys would be enough of a deterrent for them to give up. It slowed them down a bit, sure, but the Seasharks were still going. Clearly she had underestimated them in more ways than one. She pulled out her gun and opted for something she knew would scare them away.

She quickly turned around, took aim and pulled the trigger, sending the bullet into the man's chest--the one on the right--directly above his heart. He clutched at the wound, the force obviously winding him.

"The one guy's goin' down," the older man pointed out from the back of the stolen jet ski. "We just get the other one and we're outta this mess."

Leann didn't respond to him, but the eye contact she made with him as she reached behind her once more, with the gun tightly enclosed in her grasp, was one that said she was already one step ahead.

Closing one eye to focus in on the other man, Leann repeated her previous actions, this time hitting the space between his collarbone and right shoulder. It was the secret spot to taking someone down effectively without killing them. He came to a halt, blood staining his white shirt, and his buddy stopped too. Seeing as they couldn't keep going with bleeding gunshot wounds, they both made a motion to turn around. That didn't stop them from shouting various insults at the three fleeing, though.

Leann flicked the safety on the pistol and slipped it back in her waistband behind her. She wiped a few water droplets form her cheek and slowed the Seashark as they rode back out to the Pacific Ocean. Vespucci Beach quickly came into view, then Del Perro.

"Where to?" She called behind her, suddenly aware that the girl's hands were still clasped around her shoulders.

"By the pier, near those trucks," the man replied. She took notice that his gun was no longer in his hand. She wondered about that, but could only figure he was either some kind of criminal or was just exercising his second amendment rights...sort of.

He and his daughter shared a little back and fourth banter on the way, and Leann couldn't help but listen. They sounded just as dysfunctional as every other family in this city, sadly. It was superficial and borderline hateful. That was close to home for her, and she knew it all too well.

When Leann pulled up to the shore and stopped, she realized too late that the duffel bag filled with guns that she took for Vince was gone. She did a double take where it had been between her legs before looking up with wide eyes. She had been so caught up in escaping and helping two strangers out that she hadn't payed any attention to it, so she had no way of knowing at which point the bag flew off into the water. Fuck.

"I gotta go," she blurted out to them as the father and daughter climbed off of the jet ski. They both displayed confused looks, but Leann wasn't about to explain. She quickly twisted the throttle and sped away, leaving a wake crashing into the sand.


	2. The Proposition

Leann was prepared for the worst, pulling out her phone after stumbling off of the small dock. She had returned the Seashark to it's original slip, albeit in worse condition, and walked back up the beach with a killer headache. The heat wasn't helping, but that's not what had started it, and it wasn't even the worst of it.

The screen of her device wouldn't light up, making her eyebrows pull together as she tried the lock button again. It still remained black. The dead battery and charge icons then appeared, and she slapped a hand over her forehead.

"Damnit," she mumbled under her breath, gesturing to throw her phone to the ground before she shoved it back into her pocket and trudged through the hot sand. She was exhausted and beyond pissed right now. Not only was she never going to hear the end of her screw-up, but she wasn't going to receive her payment, either. And with nothing to give to the buyers, Vince would have to refund the money, likely losing a customer in the process. She was almost glad her phone had died, because she really didn't want to have that conversation right now. She wanted to go home and down a bottle of bourbon. It would help loosen up her nerves and mind. It sounded unhealthy, but oh so good.

When she reached the parking lot to get to her car, she hadn't even grabbed for the handle before something yanked at her attention.

"Hey!" A female's high pitched voice greeted from behind her. The voice sounded familiar, and when Leann turned around to see who was standing there, it clicked.

There, before her, was the girl she had helped escape, along with her father, on the jet ski no more than a half hour ago. What were the chances of running into her again?

"Oh, it's you," the young woman came to the realization just at Leann did. She smiled, but it quickly disappeared as she turned her head to look behind her before looking back at the woman who had more or less saved her ass. "Do you have a phone I could borrow? I need to call someone."

Leann shook her head. "I don't." She fiddled with the keys in her hand as the girl pushed her sunglasses up onto her head. "Great. My car battery died and I left my phone on the boat because my daddy decided to drag me off of it and cause a scene. And my brother left his phone at home because he's an idiot."

Hearing more of the dysfunction between the girl and her family made Leann stop and think. She didn't know why she even considered doing what she was about to do, because normally she wouldn't do it, but something was pulling at her. She had her own problems right now, and enough to worry about---

"Do you want a ride?" Leann questioned her, moving closer to her car and unlocking the door. "I can take you to a gas station and you can call a tow truck or something?"

"Actually, could you just give us a ride home?" The girl chimed. "I can get my car later." Us? She turned and left momentarily before returning with a guy who was a little taller than her. He was wearing a black and red jersey, and his short, orange curls moved slightly in the wind. When his eye's met Leann's, his mouth fell open a little while lifting into a small grin.

The girl rolled her eyes at his actions and folded her arms over her chest with an eye roll. "This is my brother, Jimmy. I'm Tracey, by the way."

"Leann," She leaned against the opening to the driver's seat with one arm bent and resting on the roof. "Get in."

 

"So, where am I going?" Leann questioned Tracey as she pulled up to a red light and stopped at the intersection.

After an argument in which the brother and sister duo had fought over who got 'shotgun,' and who had called it first, Jimmy had made a quick dash for the passenger's seat, leaving Tracey no choice but to sit in the back. She had called him an asshole, among other things, and he had returned it with more insults. Leann actually found the whole thing humorous, and it kind of reminded her of rants she'd have with Courtney sometimes.

"Rockford Hills," Tracey replied as she played with one of her braids. "It's on Portola Drive, I think."

Leann looked up from the road and in the rear view mirror. They lived in one of the richest neighborhoods in Los Santos, next to Vinewood Hills. She should have figured by the way they were dressed, and the way they behaved. It was a stereotype, sure, but they existed for a reason.

The car was silent for a minute before she saw Jimmy out of the corner of her eye turning his head towards her. "How do you know my sister? And my dad? I mean, you don't seem like the type of person who would hang out with either of them. Well, maybe my dad if you're as trigger happy as he is."

Tracey leaned against the back of Jimmy's seat, her face tightened up in a scowl. "Well I don't see anyone lining up to spend time with you." It didn't sound like these two ever got along.

Leann kept her eyes on the road, but they would drift ever so often to passing cars and signs. She smirked a little at his observation of her, whatever it was. "And what type of person would that be exactly?"

Jimmy shrugged, scratching the side of his head. "I don't know, cool?"

Leann raised an eyebrow. "Cool?" She watched as he shifted in his seat and adjusted the ridiculous chains around his neck.

"Yeah. Tracey told me you carry a gun. It sounds a little like what my dad would be interested in, but definitely not her."

From the back seat, Tracey was throwing her arms in the air. "She was using it to defend us, Jimmy. She's not, like, some hood."

Leann let out a little chuckle, but resisted the urge to let on too much. She wasn't about to discuss her criminal activities with two younglings, and why she generally carried a firearm with her. It wasn't something she just came out with and said to people she didn't really know. Even people she did know weren't exactly sure what she did.

As she steered the wheel with one hand, the other was rested on the ledge by the window. She didn't say anything else, just kept driving until she reached the street Tracey had mentioned. The homes were clean and neatly kept judging from the outside. Landscaping and road work was top notch. It all just seemed too perfect, even for an area that was so affluent.

"It's this one," Jimmy informed Leann, pointing to a Spanish Renaissance style mansion tucked behind tall, stone walls and a gate in front of a bricked driveway. The architecture was beautiful. What the hell did their parents do for a living so that they could afford a place like this? These two sure as hell weren't living here by themselves.

"Hold on, I took this from my car," Tracey pulled out a remote device from her pocket and pointed it towards the brown, iron gate. After a second or two, it slowly rolled open, and Leann pulled up the small incline behind a white truck that was parked under a much nicer version of a carport. There was a red Sentinel convertible parked to the far right of her, and a black Tailgater was parked on the opposite side of the house, in front of a two-car garage. The multiple nice cars definitely reinforced the idea that they had a ton of disposable income, and they flaunted it.

Leann put her car in park and waited for Tracey and Jimmy to get out. They had both surprisingly thanked her, and Jimmy flashed her a little smile as he shut the door and walked towards the house. She rolled her eyes before turning to look at Tracey.

"Hey, do you want gas money or something?" She asked Leann, raising her head to return eye contact as she stood by the open back door.

Leann shook her head. Even after losing today's payment, she would still be fine for months, and she didn't need this kid's money...

And then it smacked her in the middle of the face. She remembered that she would have to call Vince sooner or later and tell him he wasn't gonna be getting those guns anytime soon. Not a conversation she wanted to have.

"No, but do you have a phone I can use?"

 

Leann followed Tracey inside the house, taking in it's rich interior, and they made their way into the kitchen. Everything was airy and bright. And clean. Like nothing had ever been disturbed. She had seen a maid by the stairs that led to the upper floor as she came in, which said that no one else who lived there did any house work. She hadn't seen anyone else yet, which didn't correlate with the number of vehicles outside. Though, that was at the back of her mind now.

When she got an eyeful of all the expensive shit that littered the place, Leann found herself thinking that it would be the perfect target if she was still on top of the con game. Whether it was manipulating the person who owned it to get a large chunk of money out of them, and even the house itself, or lifting the most profitable items out of it when no one was home, it worked.

No. She had been out of that business for a while. It was a great thrill, but she wasn't doing that anymore. She didn't want to do it to these people, either. She was actually starting to like them a little, despite the fact that she was so different from them.

"Here," Tracey handed Leann a home phone from the landline. They hadn't exactly gone extinct, but she was surprised to see one still being used, especially when everyone in the household most likely had a mobile phone. Then again, they probably had more than enough money that the bill barely made a dent in their 'budget.'

Leann took the phone and gestured towards the glass French doors that led to the backyard. "Thanks."

She dialed Vince's number after closing the doors behind her and stared at the view of the brick patio, swimming pool and hot tub combo, and the enclosed tennis court at the far end of the property. These people were loaded.

Pressing the phone up to her ear, Leann waited a few rings, but that was all she got before he picked up.

"Hello?" Vince's voice came though the phone, and it sounded confused. She was kind of surprised that he answered an unknown caller, but didn't dwell on it as she took a few steps closer to an outdoor table and chair set.

"Vince, it's Leann," she spoke clearly and calmly. This wasn't her first time making a call like this, but it didn't mean she liked it any better.

"Leann, baby," he paused before continuing. "Why are you calling me from a different number?"

Leann rolled her eyes at the pet names he used. She tucked a loose strand of hair from her bun behind her ear when the wind had blown it in her face. "My phone died. Look, I gotta--"

Vince cut her off, seemingly thinking the job was completed successfully and that she was just calling him to give him the good news. "When can I expect you to drop by with the merchandise?"

She sighed, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "Never. I lost it."

There was silence on the other end, and a bit of static. "You what?" His voice wasn't raised. In fact, it sounded more like the tone where you didn't hear it the first time, or you were in denial.

"I had the bag, but the heat caught up with me and I must have dropped it in the water somewhere along the way." Leann ran a hand over her forehead. She was just as pissed as she knew he was, but she knew another job would come along. They always did. And neither of them were scraping by for cash.

"Leann, tell me you're screwin' with me here," Vince became increasingly agitated and angry now. "You better be."

"Listen, just give the clients the money back and we can find them another slew of arms."

A drawn out laugh came over the speaker. It didn't sound genuine, but it sounded like it was mocking and trying to justify something. "Do you realize how expensive those guns were? Some of 'em were rare, easily from the 1800's. They're not something we're gonna come across again."

Leann threw an arm in the air in frustration. "Then just give them their money back and I'll figure something else out."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

She furrowed her brow. "Why not?"

"This one's on you," Vince had a darker tone to his voice now. "It was a big and expensive order, and you failed to follow through."

Leann shook her head, finding everything he was saying ridiculous, and his Italian accent made her feel like she was in one of those mafia movies.

"Excuse me?"

"The value of those weapons was $600,000. That's what my client paid, and that's what you're gonna come up with."

"Bullshit!" She quickly raised her voice, not being able to control it. "You spent all that money because you got cocky, and now you're putting this on me because you can't face them! And I'm guessing you have no plans to because you know things won't end well for you!" She had caught on to what he was doing, and she wasn't having any of it.

"I thought I could trust you to get the job done, but I guess I was wrong," Vince said as his voice became more casual again. It made her stomach sick. "You'd better get to it. They'll be in touch."

"You piece of shit..." Her voice was low, but in that angrily shaky way. Vince was never a stand up guy, but she had never considered that he would just betray her like this. Even recently when his temperament had changed. "Where the hell am I supposed to get $600k?!"

"You'll figure it out." Vince's voice seemed to be back to a normal tone, but it still sounded treacherous. He hung up before she could say anything else.

Leann stood motionless as the other end went silent. She was so furious she could scream. She squeezed the white plastic of the phone, wanting so badly to chuck it in the pool, or see if she could hit the street, but she drew back her arm.

What an asshole. Leann was almost blaming herself, saying that she should of seen it coming, but this wasn't entirely her fault. And now one of Vince's clients was after her for their money because he ran off with it. She began considering all possibilities to acquire that kind of money, because she didn't know exactly who she was dealing with yet.

A con seemed like the most obvious choice at the moment, but who knows how long that would take for the payout she needed. She didn't have time. This wasn't the case where she could lift two grand off of someone in minutes. It would take careful consideration and months of planning if she wanted it done right with no loose ends. She could find work elsewhere, but again, it could take months, and she knew damn well she didn't have months.

All her savings consisted of was $50,000 and maybe a hundred dollars here and there in different accounts. She was completely fucked. She hadn't even noticed in her thoughts and rage that someone had walked up behind her and was now in her periphery.

Leann turned to see Tracey's father, the other person she had managed to escape with from the degenerates she was robbing, standing there, looking at her with a confused, yet intrigued expression. He was still in his beige shorts and grey-blue polo from earlier, but they had dried since then. His brown-grey hair wasn't as messy as before, either.

She moved her eyes to the phone in her hand and lifted it up to him. "Sorry, I had to make a call."

"Sounded like some call," he grasped the phone from her, only to put it down on the patio table beside them. "Thanks for bringing my lovely kids home. And for, ah, earlier." He gestured with his hands on the last part, trying to find the right words.

"Don't mention it," Leann shook her head and waved off his gratitude, still visibly angry with her current dilemma.

He scanned her face, trying to figure out what had her on edge. She was clearly upset about something. Not only from hearing her shouting on the phone to whoever she was talking to, but he could also tell that much from how her features were all over the place. How her eyes couldn't stay in one place, the way her mouth was fidgeting, and the position of her eyebrows. He stopped there, examining a thin scar that ran through the middle of her left eyebrow, starting a little above the arch and going with the downward slant of the tail. He didn't notice it before because he hadn't gotten a good look at her face, but now it was as clear as day. You couldn't miss it.

Holding out his hand, he stepped closer to her. "I'm Michael."

She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, then looked back up at his face. A million things were running through her mind, and she didn't need to add one more.

"Leann," she replied quickly before turning to leave. "I gotta go."

She started for the back doors, walking past Michael without looking at him as she locked her eyes onto the steel handle. He watched her turn it before blurting out what he had intended to speak with her about.

"Those were some nice skills back there."

She stopped immediately and turned her head to face him again, but this time she looked directly into his eyes. He definitely said the right thing to get her attention.

He took a few steps forward, still being cautious of his actions. "Where'd you learn how to shoot like that?"

"Why do you wanna know?" She didn't say it like she was being defensive, but like she actually wanted to know why Michael was asking. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she shifted in her spot so that her hip was sticking out and her weight was on one leg.

Michael shrugged. "Believe me, It's not everyday that I see that kind of shooting, especially from a woman."

Leann snorted, not being able to stop herself from an eye roll. "Of course."

"Easy, I didn't mean it like that." He held his arms up in defense, a smirk playing on his lips.

She relaxed her shoulders a bit and let out a small sigh, trying to calm her nerves. "I taught myself, apart from an instructor here and there. Like the saying goes, practice makes perfect."

"Well, I don't know exactly why you helped my daughter and me out today, but I do appreciate it." He seemed genuine, for whatever that was worth.

"You and you're daughter were dealing with some unhinged psychos today. Consider it a favor."

Michael gave Leann a look. That only seemed to make him dwell further into the matter. "You speak from experience?"

She stopped for a second and really thought about it. He stood and waited for her answer, and she realized that it was never if regarding crime, it was when. "I've met a lot of scum in my line of work."

She watched as he poured himself some whiskey in a clear glass. He took a sip as he looked back at her. She didn't really want to discuss this with him. With anyone really. Though, she felt like he would understand in some way. She hadn't learned everything there was to know about him in the little time that she had known him, but he seemed like more than just a rich guy in a big house, fighting with his family and hating his life while he probably drowned himself in alcohol every day and night.

"What about you?" She pressed, knowing there was more to him. She dropped her arms down and stood up straight, though he was still fairly taller than her. "You seem like you know a thing or two, judging by your gun."

He smiled a little at her challenging nature, picking the glass up by the rim and swishing the brown liquid around. "Let's just say I uh, I've been in the 'business' a lot of years, sweetheart."

Leann nodded her head, seeing now why he lived such a high and mighty lifestyle. He wasn't some executive or CEO of a big corporation. He didn't run a successful business, and he sure as hell didn't do anything else of those sorts that made him a lot of money. She laughed to herself. It takes one to know one.

Michael gave her a knowing look, but he didn't say anything, taking a seat at the nearby table. Leann took it upon herself to pull out the chair across from him and sit, setting her arms down on the rests.

"I was asked to steal some weapons for a dealer's high-paying client from that yacht. I did just that, but in the process of being the white knight and helping you out, I lost the guns. I knew I'd have to call the dealer, who I was actually friends with, and tell him the bad news. What I wasn't expecting was for him to basically say fuck you, take the money he was supposed to give back to his client, and pin me to the task of coming up with $600,000 so that I don't get a bullet put in my head."

Michael sat back in his chair and took another swig of whiskey, then looked down at the remaining contents. She just stared at him as he did so, waiting to see what he had to say. It felt good to get it out, but what was she going to do with it now?

"Tell you what," He sat up in his chair and threaded his fingers together. "Long story short, I pulled down a rich Mexican hood's house in the hills, and I now owe him a lot of money to get 'em a new one."

Leann widened her eyes, actually finding the information hilarious despite the fact that he was in a dangerous position, as was she.

"I contacted an old friend and business partner of mine, and we're settin' up somethin' that is gonna save my ass, and it could potentially help you out, too. If you're interested." He held up a finger and pointed it at her. "I like what I've seen with you so far, and I think you'd be one hell of an addition."

"What kind of job are we talking about?" Leann was curious. She was already wanting to say yes and take him up on his offer because she needed it, but she couldn't help the skepticism inside of her. How much could she trust him? With what had just happened with Vince, she still had her guard up, and for good reason.

Michael stood up from the cushioned seat and pushed the now empty glass towards the middle of the table. "Meet me and my associates tomorrow morning at a factory warehouse in La Mesa. It's on Popular Street. We'll talk then."

Leann got up from her seat and brushed a stray hair from her face. Her expressions were more serious now, and her body language was closed off again. She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do I know that I can trust you?"

Michael opened his eyes wider. He raised his shoulders, then lowered them. "You don't know, but I guess that's a risk you'll have to take."

Leann stared at the ground before looking to the sky, tapping the front of her flip flop on the brick ground. Not really a comforting answer, she thought, but at least he didn't sugarcoat it and pretend to reassure her. She turned to leave, this time feeling a little better about things, and in a slightly more positive mood. This time, she opted to just walk around the side of the house so she could leave without interruption.

"It was nice meeting you, Leann." Michael called after her. She turned around and gave him a little smile, holding her hand up to her face to shield her eyes from the sun.

"You too, Michael." She began to walk backwards so she was still looking at him. "Tell you're kids to stay out of trouble. I'm not a full-time superhero, you know."

He shook his head and chuckled as she disappeared behind the gardener's white Bison, and he was left alone on the patio with nothing but his thoughts. That, and the bottle of whiskey he would probably finish off before nightfall even arrived.


End file.
